Do Your Thing in MTL: Behind the Scenes

Do Your Thing in MTL, a video series hosted by Tourisme Montreal’s LGBT network QUEER MTL, that invited top LGBT entertainers to use our city as their stage! We featured singer-songwriter Johnny “Gay Pimp” McGovern, comedian DeAnne Smith, Olympic figure skater Jonny Weir, drag queen Mado Lamotte, and transgender model Carmen Carrera. Watch the video for a special behind the scenes look at production with the stars…

Do Your Thing in MTL shows that matter who you are, or where you come from, this city is ready to accept you with open arms and “deux bisous.” We think everyone should let their freak flags fly, and be free to just do their thing. Even if it’s super kinky. The campaign had these celebrities share their experience in Montreal with fans on their own social networks, encouraging conversations and buzz to build around Montreal’s LGBT scene. The first guest to come to Montreal to do his thing was Johnny “Gay Pimp” McGovern. His thing is writing funny gay pop rap songs. So that’s exactly what he did. He wrote us “French Kiss” about the beautiful boys of Montreal…

The extras in the video were practically freezing their nipples off, as the temperature dipped heavily during shooting. But they rallied, even during the car wash scene! After we took Johnny out on the town and he wanted strip clubs. Montreal gay strip clubs are unique compared to most cities because they actually allow full frontal nudity. Watching McGovern sit back in a strip club booth with a twink on each arm, damn. This guy really is a gay pimp!

Next we had comedian DeAnne Smith, who also just happens to be a cute lesbian. Her thing is making people laugh with a little comedy. So for #DoYourThingMTL she wrote the hilarious “Mile End Love Song” and performed it while perusing the tree lined streets of Montreal’s Mile End neighbourhood…

DeAnne is as friendly in person as you’d assume from watching her on stage. She joked with the crew, did the takes over and over again until they were perfect, and blushed like crazy when the interviewer said “You’re pretty much on your way to being the next Ellen…”

Our third guest was Olympic figure skater Jonny Weir. He snuck into the Atrium at 1000 de La Gauchetière, ripped off his clothes, and hits the indoor ice for some spectacular figure skating…

Jonny took the time to take photographs with fans, was uber professional, and yes, that ass is as bubble butty in person as it looks on camera. After shooting wrapped, he ran off with a friend for some greek food in the Mile End!

The next #DoYourThingMTL star is not really a guest, she’s a bonafide Montrealer! Mado Lamotte is the owner and star of Cabaret Mado in Montreal’s Gay Village. Her thing is being a sassy drag queen…

Mado invited us inside her private dressing room. It’s a wonderland of pin-up pornography, Kylie Minogue pictures, Hello Kitty, with racks upon racks of costumes, wigs, jewels and shoes. Mado definitely gave some tourist a good story, as some of them seemed quite shocked to spot a drag queen in a horse drawn carriage pointing at them as she trotted past.

Last but not least we had transgender model Carmen Carrera. Her thing is showcasing her body which has undergone an amazing transformation. She did a pop-up burlesque show in the middle of Montreal’s Gay Village…

Things heated up when Carmen Carrera started strutting around the Gay Village buck naked. It took several attempts of pasty placement before it was deemed appropriate enough for Tourisme Montreal. After filming wrapped, we took Carmen and her assistant out to O’Thyme, and then hit the village for some Karaoke! She took pictures with fans, knocked back some shots, and had an absolute blast!

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